A man stabbed and killed a woman Thursday on the street outside her Northern California apartment in front of bystanders, authorities said, and a suspect was arrested near the crime scene.

Local media reported that the woman was beheaded by a sword in the attack outside the apartment where she lived with her two children but San Mateo County Sheriff’s Lt. Eamonn Allen declined to confirm those reports.

A mom was stabbed and killed in Northern California

A woman was fatally stabbed in front of bystanders on the streets of California on Sept. 8, 2022. (Fox News)

He said deputies who responded to the scene were upset "based on the nature of the crime," and were receiving support. Witnesses have also been offered counseling, he said.

Allen offered few details about the circumstances of the crime, saying only that the suspect used a "stabbing instrument," that investigators were still trying to find.

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Police had not released the identities of the suspect or the victim, but said they had an ongoing relationship.

Allen said the suspect was walking within a couple of blocks from the crime scene when deputies detained him.